'Somm'

"Somm," a new documentary about the world's best wine stewards, was released June 21 to theaters and iTunes.

"Somm," a new documentary about the world's best wine stewards, was released June 21 to theaters and iTunes.

This is the first time a film team has been allowed to interview people trying to pass the Master Sommelier exam, which demands flawless tasting abilities and a deep knowledge of wine, spirits, sake, beer and cigars.

Jackson Myers, a cinematographer and camera operator who has lived in Los Angeles since graduating from Ashland High School in 2002, captured scenes in European wine cellars, Chilean vineyards and Napa Valley barrel rooms.

Myers thinks viewers who don't know a lot about wine will like the film.

"Hopefully, people watch it, enjoy it, learn something from it and then want to dive into the world of wine," says Myers, who also served as one of the producers.

Jason Wise of Forgotten Man Films conceived, wrote, directed and produced the documentary. Samuel Goldwyn Films, which also released the Academy-Award nominated film "Super Size Me," acquired the North American rights to the film.

"Somm" is available for $12.99 on iTunes, (itunes.apple.com/us/movie/somm/id658623737).

For the film, Myers used a $100,000 Phantom high-speed, high-definition camera and an Arri/Fujinon Alura long zoom lens to capture champagne bottles exploding at 1,000 frames per second in the California desert.

For a different film for the International Sommelier Guild, he was in Italy in March and will return for the September harvest.

Myers' parents are Ashland arborist Tom Myers and Lauren Schaffer, a French language professor at Southern Oregon University. They attended the film's premiere in Napa Valley and its June release in Los Angeles.

— Janet Eastman

READ the background story and watch the trailer at http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121106/NEWS02/211060304